PRIVATE EYE

I. What Happened?
Instruction: Write PR if the statement expresses a characteristic of Prose and PO if it expresses a characteristic of Poetry.
Write BO if it applies to both.
__PO____ 1. It is always written in lines.
__PR____ 2. It narrates the series of events of a story.
__PR ____4. It tells the physical location of the story, the atmosphere, the mood, the weather, and even the time the story
happens.
__PO____ 5. Stanza is composed of lines.
__PO____ 6. Free verse has no rhyme and has no meter.
__PR____ 7. It conveys a lesson or message to the reader.
__PR____ 8. A narrator can be a character in a story.
__PO____ 9. It reflects the life of a person and his culture.
__PO____ 10. They are the characters driving out the flow of the story.

II. What To Know?

Activity 1: Let’s love poetry!

Read the poem “A Prayer from the Womb” by Saju Abraham. Then,answer the questions that follow.

Analyzing Poetry!

Read each question and write your answers on the space provided for.Please answer in complete sentence.

1. Who do you think is the persona or voice talking in the poem?

The persona and the voice of the poem is the unborn child.
2. What is the mood of the poem? Can you write the words or phrases used in the poem to support your answer?
The mood of the poem is questionable, plaintive, unhappy. This is the words that support my answer But you still
threw me out of your system. Why mama, why? Am I so unagreeable?I don't keep it against you mama.
3. To whom you think the poem is addressed to?
The poem focuses on the child aborted by his own mother.
4. What are the things that the baby promised to his mother while still inside her womb?
The Baby promised to her mother that she would not pull her mother's gown and she will be behaving in front of her
mother friends And her baby will not fight against her

5. How would you describe the mother bearing the child?

I can describe her as a selfish mother, a murderer, careless
6. What does this line suggest? “But you still threw me out of your system.”
 What this line suggests, is why his mother managed to abort him even though he promised that he would not be a
hindrance to his mother's life.
7. If you were the child inside this mother’s womb, would you still like to be born or just be aborted? Justify your
answer.
If I was in that child's situation, Be aborted I would rather die than have her be my mother

Activity 2: Time to read!

Analyzing a Story!

Read each question and write your answers on the space provided for.Please answer in complete sentence.

1. Who is the character in the letter?

The character in the letter is the unborn baby and his mother.
2. What point of view is used in the letter? Prove your answer.
The point of view of the letter is Second person because the author uses the word you, your, yours.
3. How would you describe the atmosphere? Can you cite some lines to justify your answer?
The atmosphere of the story is confusing “I sense that something is wrong! You seem to be having strange thoughts
that leave me restless and worried; but I am sure everything is going to be okay! Don’t despair!” “Mommy, where are
we going? What’s happening? Mommy,this is not normally the time that you take your afternoon nap; don’t lie down.
Besides, I am not tired! I still want to play! Uh!!! What is this thing doing inside of my house? Is it a new toy? Hey!
It’s sucking up my house...”
4. Based from the letter, do you think the decision of the mother was fateful? Support your answer.
for me no, if he really cares about the child he will choose to live it and raise it but he aborted it. it is not the child's
fault if he was formed in his mother's womb but it is all his parents' fault. because our destiny depends on our hand not
on God.
5. Do you think these lines are ironic? Why?
For me yes,because the opposite is happening in his situation

Activity 3: Genre-Crossing!
Instruction: In the blank before each number, write if the remark about the text refers to the “Prayer from the Womb,”
L if it refers to the “A Letter from an Unborn Baby,” and PL if it has to do with the two selections.
 ___PL___1. Addressed mainly to the mother.
___PL___2. Contains remarks made during the different stages of pregnancy.
___PL___ 3. Contains questions by the speaker about what’s happening to him.
___ Prayer from the Womb ___ 4. Questions the mother’s decision for the abortion.
___L___ 5. Raises pleas for help from the mother.
__ Prayer from the Womb ____ 6. Features promises to avoid the bothersome demands for attention.
__L____ 7. Includes a postscript acknowledging the feelings of the mother about the abortion
__L____ 8. Forgives the mother for the decision she made.

Activity 4: Venn Diagram

Instruction: In the outer circles, write the appropriate elements specific only to that genre. In the center circle, write
the elements that are alike to both genres.

“ A prayer from the womb” Commonality “A letter from an unborn baby”

Free Character Lines

Addressee Stanza
Conflict Paragraph
Mood Sentences
Persona Verse
Point of view
Theme

Activity 5: Let’s write it down!

Instruction: In a separate clean sheet of paper, write a short essay discussing the theme in Saju Abraham’s “Prayer from
the Womb,” and “A Letter from an Unborn Baby,”

‘A Prayer from the Womb’ is the cry of an unborn child, a fetus, which has been aborted. Torn from the safe cocoon
of its mother’s, it is pleading with its mother, knowing very well that it has been cast out.While in the womb, it had
promised its mother that it will not trouble her in any way – no tantrums, no cries, no disturbances. But in spite of all these
promises, it reflects with sadness, that it has been taken away from the womb. Abortion should not be allowed in the
Philippines Our population today is extremely high and it continues to rise.
Many unwanted or unplanned pregnancy has been solved by abortion. Abortion by definition means removing the
fetus or embryo from the woman’s womb before it can live outside the uterus. This issue has been controversial over the
world for many years. Many people are against it while there are people saying it is the right of the woman to choose
whether to keep the baby or eradicate them. We believe that abortion is the murder of innocent lives therefore means that
it is against the law.
A fetus is a potential human being and therefore should have the right to life. We admit that a fetus is not a human
yet. It is alive but can’t Knowing that a fetus is a potential human being, it should have a right to live in this world. We
have no right to take or condemn one’s life and we see abortion as taking one’s privilege to live. Another is that when
women have sexual intercourse it is her choice and must take full responsibility of the result.
Pregnancy is not just a game where you can undo what you did wrong. Taking responsibility of the result is a wise
response to the problem, if you consider it as a problem not a blessing. Having the idea of making it as another form of
contraception makes no sense. When you want to prevent something from happening, you should have taken action in the
beginning.
Abortion is when taking the fetus out of the mother’s womb unlike contraception where you take actions in order to
prevent the sperm cells develop and form fetus. Abortion does not only affect the future of the baby but it also affects the
mother physically and psychologically. It creates pain, stress and other psychological factors which tend to lead to suicidal
behaviors and substance abuse.